Did you know that 75% of the homeless population is made of us men? Most of whom have been through a divorce?

Did you know that men make up 93% of the prison population?

Did you know that men are usually granted harsher sentences than woman for the same crimes committed?

Did you know that men only win full custody of their children less than 10% of the time in divorce hearings?

Did you know that men pay over 90% of all child support orders whereas they face felony charges for getting behind?

Did you know that a man can be locked away for years for a false-allegation of rape even after he is proven innocent? (see the Brian Banks Case)

Did you know that the Federal Government gives the state governments $1 for every $1 they collect in child support via Title IVD of the Social Security Act (Conflict of Interest!)

Did you know that under Israel’s “Tender Years Law”, men are not entitled access to their children for the first 7 years of their life?

Do you know how to reduce your alimony or child support payments so that you don’t fall into a cycle of prison and job loss? — Hint, they will never tell you how in court! They hope you fail!

If you have a girlfriend, are thinking about getting married, are going through a divorce, have been through a divorce, or maybe you are a young man who is entering the world on his own for the first time…… YOU NEED THIS BOOK!

Or perhaps you are a woman who simply wants to understand the opposite gender. (If so, then kudos to you!). While we should recognize the unique struggles of women, this book highlights the unique challenges that men face, something that is rarely spoken about in the media since they expect men to remain silent and stoic.

This book is actually not a book but a report that was submitted to the United Nations regarding corruption against men regarding family law and criminal law. The UN rejected my report, thus I have decided to publish certain portions of it. The report was originally 54 pages long which contained personal information. This published rendition contains portions of the report to which I think the public could greatly benefit from.

The report can also be read for free on my “reports” page found on this website if you don’t have any money to spare. However, proceeds from the book purchases will go towards fighting for your rights!

It costs less than $10. The information in this book could literally save your life. If you have a brother, father, or male friend, this book is a must. And for those woman out there who are sympathetic to male issues, we salute you in your efforts!

DEFAULT 50/50 CUSTODY WITH $0 CHILD SUPPORT: If it is later discovered that there will be a disparity in custody and financial support is needed, cap the amount at no more than 20% of his NET income and/or a cap of $1,000 per month per child. Custody should be discussed BEFORE finances. Why is there a child support enforcement agency but no visitation enforcement agency? Women should not automatically be assumed to be the primary care-giver! Remove the money incentives!

BRING ACCOUNTABILITY: If Child support is to be paid. the money should go on a card whereas purchases can be tracked and challenged. Rent, Food, light bills, school supplies, ect. However, using that money for vacations or personal gain shall be barred!

DECRIMINALIZE FAILURE TO PAY- (How is incarceration or suspending driver’s licenses going to help a man earn more money?)

GIVE MEN PARENTAL CHOICE: – If women can abort why can’t men choose whether or not they want to be fathers? Follow Sweden, create a financial abortion clause. Men have 9 weeks to decide whether or not they want to take responsibility just as women have the right choice with abortion.

STOP THE FALSE ALLEGATION: False allegations of rape, abuse, or battery should be criminalized to the same extent as if the accused were guilty. Stop allowing women to get off free with black mail! (See the Brian Banks NFL rape case)

END THE CORRUPT TITLE IVD FUNDING: States are profiting from making men have higher than normal child support orders. For every $1 they collect, the federal government matches the amount!

CAP CHILD SUPPORT: Men and women should not be able to profit from child support. $1,000 per month per child should be the cap, regardless of how much money the non-custodial parent makes. A child certainly would not need more than that to survive and thrive.

ALLOW FOR CASES TO BE ENDED: Even with arrears being owed, a custodial parent shall have the right to dissolve the case completely at any time. This will foster better cooperation between parents.

EQUAL REPRESENTATION: Both parties shall be represented with council. Since child support comes with so many criminal sanctions and financial burdens, the state has a vested interest to provide counsel for both custodial and non-custodial parents. Currently, only custodial parents receive free counsel.

JOB PROGRAMS: Studies show that men who make atleast $42,000 per year almost never miss child support payments. Create job programs to help payers reach the national medium income.

END THE BRADLEY AMENDMENT OF 1986: This disregards a person’s ability to pay and forces them into prison. Being deployed in war? Get into a car wreck and become disabled? Doesn’t matter! The Bradley Amendment says you must pay or go to prison!

END FELONY CHARGES UNDER THE “Parental Responsibility Act” – This law says that a man/woman who falls behind more than $2,500 dollars can face felony charges. This can ruin a person’s job prospects indefinitely. Considering that most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, falling behind is easier than ever.

Effects: Men are more likely to commit suicide after divorce due to financial uncertainty and emotional baggage from being alienated from his children. Children who grow up with strong figures are 7 times more likely to commit violent crimes in the future.

USE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AS A JUDGEMENT MODEL : In same-sex divorce cases, custody must be given based on merit, not on gender. While 50/50 custody should be the default, full custody should only be given based on merits alone.

GLOBAL EPIDEMIC: Germany, Japan, Israel, Canada— These atrocious laws are effecting people (mostly men) all over the globe. In our pursuits for stronger rights for women, we have totally discarded the feelings and contributions of men and their important role in our family society.

Bankruptcy is prominently mentioned in the Constitution. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4 of the United States Constitution provides:

The Congress shall have Power To…establish…uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States….

Bankruptcy is a necessary option for those with a high debt to income ratio. However, it does come with serious consequences. Your credit will be ruined for up to 10 years, the process will cost you atleast 1-2,000$ to file and lenders will be very weary of you. As a Bankruptcy paralegal myself, I would not recommend anyone file for bankruptcy who has less than 10,000$ of debt. Debts can be paid down, negotiated, and so forth without destroying your credit report! However, if you find yourself in the midst of a foreclosure or simply cannot see a foreseeable way to escape, then bankruptcy could be your best option. If you are thinking about this option, consider these 10 strategies.

Pass the “Means Test”: If you are single and make under $40,000 per year, you will most likely qualify for a chapter 7 bankruptcy. If you are married and your combined income is less than $80,000 per year, you will most likely qualify. Some couples will strategically file for separation during a bankruptcy process in order to reduce their household income, however, the bankruptcy trustee will investigate your living situation to ensure it is a legitimate separation.

Replevin Orders are often needed to recover property from a debtor, which require the creditor to take you to court. Small items such as toasters, Televisions, or any item that is worth less than $1,000 is often able to be retained if the debtor is brave enough to call the creditor’s bluff. Replevin orders cost money and time. In my years working as Bankruptcy paralegal, it is extremely rare to see any creditor file for a Replevin order on any item worth less than a grand.

Credit scores can be strengthened after bankruptcy if you obtain a secured credit card and pay it down fast after making small purchases.

Do not purposefully rack up debts on entertainment(non-essential) items and then immediately file for bankruptcy. Most debts younger than 90 days are generally scrutinized and are considered “fraudulent” debts in many bankruptcy cases.

Chapter 13 bankruptcies will save your house from being foreclosed upon, however, it will only buy you a few months. If you fail to make payments on your Chapter 13 plan, the foreclosure process starts all over again.

Chapter 7 bankruptcies will not clear out mortgages and auto loans. Expect to give back those properties after your case has completed unless you enter into a “reaffirmation agreement”.

Negotiate your reaffirmation agreement with your lawyer or better yet, try to avoid signing into one! See if the creditor will continue taking payments at the same rate as before. Oftentimes, creditors will try to get you to enter into a new agreement with higher rates to benefit themselves.

Child support is a non-dischargable debt. However, filing for a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy can help you reorganize your child support debt and save you from getting your drivers license suspended.

Student Loans and owed Tax debt are generally considered non-dischargable. In some rare circumstances, they can be discharged.

Show up to court! If you don’t get a notice in the mail from your lawyer, call him/her! Missing your court date can cause huge delays and possibly have your case thrown out. It is imperative that before you file for bankruptcy, you save up some personal time off from your employer. The judge doesn’t care about your excuses. If you don’t show up, it takes alot work from the lawyers, paralegals, and courts to get a new court date. Your lawyer and the paralegals who assist will certainly thank you for making their job much easier!

These are just a few basic tips when it comes to filing for bankruptcy in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 cases. If you have any additional questions. Feel free to contact me at Naliniglobalconsulting@yahoo.com

A few days ago, I got the chance to do some guest interviews on behalf of MSNBC regarding spirituality in politics. I am not sure if the interviews will air, nevertheless, it was a wake-up call for me. The experience was very empowering and thought provoking. We citizens need to take more time out of our lives to ask questions, not in anger, but out of curiosity. The word, “politician”, is a misnomer. The correct term is, “representative”, and as a representative, they represent us! And since they represent us, we need to make sure they are reflecting our values!

As a citizen-journalist, it is our job to hold these representatives accountable to our standards while maintaining dignity and poise. In fact, those who conduct journalism and interviews actually have a larger impact on politicians than protestors/demonstrators. I feel that most politicians have grown numb towards protesting as they see it so much, it often falls on deaf ears. However, to have an honest conversation about politics and what fuels the world, politicians are more likely to give a sincere opinion and address the situation with gusto!

As I have ran for political office myself, I can speak from experience, that it is far more effective for constituents to engage in tactful letter writing/meetings, than to threaten me with phrases like, “I’ll never vote for you again if you don’t do this or that!”. Our ability to communicate is imperative if we are to ever advance our society as a whole. As a citizen and as a journalist, I hope that we will all hold eachother accountable while also respecting the imperfect nature that is humanity. Politicians catch a bad wrap, but they are human too! They sometimes have marital problems, alcohol problems, financial problems, ect… yet, despite all of that, I still believe that most politicians want to do a good job and want to be remembered for being on the right side of history when it comes to how they vote on bills.

My time as a journalist and as a politician, gave me the rare chance to see both sides of the fence. This is why I believe that everyone should run for office, work at a fast food restaurant, travel as much as possible, write a book, ask out someone on a date and get rejected…. until we are able to put ourselves in the shoes of those we claim to hate, we can never truly know whether or not we truly hate them or it is just a bias notion that we have been ingrained with.

Martial arts is one of the best ways to learn about different cultures, meet new people. gain physical and mental fitness, and build overall confidence.

From the years of 2001-2005, I was a very dedicated student to the system of “Shaolin-Do”, lead by the alleged Grandmaster Sin Kwang aka Sin The’. I achieved a brown sash in the system, although, my specific teacher had deviated from the system quite a bit early on in my teachings, bringing in instructors from Boxing, Muay Thai, Praying Mantis Wushu and other systems to spar and do seminars with us. My teacher was very open minded, practical and young, thus we sparred full-contact and frequently cross-trained with other martial artists. Our school was frequently scolded by the Shaolin-Do headquarters in Kentucky for not wearing Japanese gis whereas we would wear traditional Chinese outfits. We felt that we were practicing Kung Fu (wushu) not Karate.

Eventually, I had enough of Shaolin-Do and began learning Xing Yi Quan under disciples who followed Sifu Shou-yu Liang who had immigrated to the west from China. Later, I went on to cross train in many styles including Boxing, Muay Thai, Jujitsu, Wing Chun, Krav Maga and others. In 2010, I won 2nd place in a NAGA Jujitsu grappling tournament in Hillsboro, Tennessee. Looking back, if not for my open-minded Shaolin-Do instructor, I might still be trapped in the Shaolin-Do system, as I too believed that he had began to have doubts about whether or not he was practicing authentic Wushu. My instructor was a very formidable fighter, but did plenty of cross-training in other traditional and modern martial arts, however, he had been involved with Shaolin-Do since his youth, so perhaps he felt compelled to continue teaching and practicing it? I am not too sure. He did go on to later become a Muay Thai competitor.

My impression of Shaolin-Do is mixed. While the system itself does have some useful techniques, and some of the instructors are legitimately strong and somewhat capable at fighting, most of the schools I visited did very little full-contact sparring, performed their forms (Taolu) awkwardly, and participated in “closed” point-fighting tournaments. That’s right! Shaolin-Do students were encouraged to NOT compete in tournaments against non-Shaolin-Do students. Hmmm, why not? If it is the best system in the world, surely it could hold it’s own against a Kyokushin Karateka or a Taekwondo fighter.

The atmosphere within the organization was very cult-like in most of the schools I saw, which isn’t uncommon for a traditional martial arts school. As I got older, I began to visit other Wushu schools and perform in open-tournaments across the country, and the other Wushu players had never heard or seen of the “Taolu” (Kata in Japanese) that I was performing. Even the Xing-Yi-Quan (Hsing I) forms I was taught wasn’t the same or remotely close to the techniques other Wushu schools were teaching. It all appeared to be made up or atleast altered. Which is fine, however, the Shaolin-Do system presented itself as authentic Shaolin-Kung Fu, not an altered version of it.

Depositions from a lawsuit involving Shaolin-Do confirm these doubts. The lawsuit, Sin Kwang The’ vs. Jacob Rydberg, shows evidence that “Grandmaster” Sin, did in fact fabricate atleast part of Shaolin-Do’s legitimacy. (The case study can be found- HERE) Everything from the forms to the history of his own training, Grandmaster Sin’ recants many of his advertised claims and even admits to making up his own forms. Again, these revelations aren’t to say that the Shaolin-Do system doesn’t have some usefulness, because all systems of martial arts were at one point, “Just made-up”, someone had to create it! But, this isn’t my problem with the system. My problem is that it markets itself as authentic Shaolin Martial Arts when it doesn’t quite appear to be. Then again, finding authentic Wushu in the USA is difficult enough as it is. If you walk into a Kung Fu school and they aren’t familiar with terms like, “Wushu”, “Taolu”, “Sanda”, “Dan-Tien” or the school does not openly compete in Wushu tournaments not sponsored by their own system, and they are wearing Japanese uniforms, It could be a cause for concern and reason to question.

Also, there is a question of “lineage”. Grandmaster Sin’ claims that he was taught martial arts by Grandmaster Ie Chang Ming who was taught by Su Kong Tai Djin. Names that have almost no historical weight in the Martial Arts community outside of Shaolin-Do. If you mention Ip-Man or Yue-Fei, the Wushu community will instantly recognize such names. But, Su Kong Tai Djin? Who is that?

With the rise of MMA and combat practicality, people are more critical of martial arts lineages and effectiveness than ever before. Because of the rise of MMA, schools and systems like Shaolin-Do have less impact on the martial arts world today, however, in smaller rural communities, Shaolin-Do is just as rampant as it ever was. Alas, in this information age, I don’t blame the business marketing strategies of Shaolin-Do or Sin Kwang. It is up to the consumer to research the product he/she is willing to support. I did my research and wasn’t convinced, thus I left the system. Perhaps you will find a different answer.

If you are a teenager in a small town, and have no access to any other martial art or boxing gym, and Shaolin-Do is your only option, if the teacher is open-minded, it could be a decent introduction into martial arts and you may fall in love with the system. However, you owe it to yourself to explore others systems and styles before dedicating your life to something that you later find out wasn’t what you thought it was. This rings true for any style or system. But, if you are happy with your training, feel free to stick to “Shaolin-Do”, but just know that this system does come with some “fine print” and disclaimers to consider.

Martial Arts and Boxing are very important aspects to my life and personal history. In my high school years, I went to a tough school, and Shaolin-Do was an escape-outlet for me. I owe it a lot, and thankfully my teacher was a young-strong guy who encouraged me to cross-train in other styles and had me spar full-contact often. However, if I had to go back and do those years over again, I would have trained elsewhere. I would have sought out a legit boxing gym, Wing Chun school, Krav Maga, or dedicated more time towards traditional Xing Yi Quan. Eventually, I began to focus most of my efforts on Boxing, Wing Chun, and Xing Yi Quan, but I wish I had done so much earlier.

Ethics are both personal and administrative. Your personal ethics may be one thing, whereas the ethics you are required to follow under the guidelines set forth by the American Nursing Association or by the National Paralegal Association, may conflict with your own morality Nevertheless, you have a duty to follow such ethics parameters if you want to keep your job and avoid being sued for malpractice or violating confidentiality provisions.

While this article focuses on paralegal and medical professionals, many of these principles are also highly relevant within any situation where you are handling someone’s private information. Here are my top 11 ways to avoid violating professional ethics guidelines:

1. Study- If you are a nurse, study the ANA handbook. If you are a paralegal, study the NPA‘s handbook regarding ethics. Also, study the individual company policies provided to you once hired by a company provided to you at orientation. What you don’t know can get you killed!

2. Don’t Gossip: Clients are going to approach you with all sorts of embarrassing stories about their lives. Medical conditions, legal issues, stories of infidelity, infertility, and other stomach turning scenarios will be common place in any area of client relations. You must handle these scenarios with care. If you wouldn’t want it to be shared with the public, then its safe to assume that your client wouldn’t either. Practice empathy, and put yourself in their shoes.

3. Be mindful of eavesdropping: When speaking to a client on the phone or in person, be sure that these conversations are done so in a quiet, secure, and private area. If these conversations are accidentally heard by a third party, it could result in negative consequences.

4. Secure documents: Any paperwork relating to company secrets or client information shouldn’t lay around openly for passerbyers to see. Such documents should also be shredded, not crumpled up in a trash bin. Identity thieves and spies are everywhere. Do not make their jobs easier by mishandling documents.

5. Do not administer actions without permission: Unless you are directed by a licensed doctor or lawyer, nurses and paralegals are NOT allowed to give a personalized diagnosis, legal advice, or administer treatment. Nurses and Paralegals must also refrain from taking action when the client does not consent. Paralegals and nurses are “foot-soldiers”. We are to operate mostly by direct command, and rarely act independently, and even when we do, we are highly monitored.

6. Avoid the media: Addressing the media in regards to a client or the company you work for without authorization is a big NO-NO. You run the risk of defamation, releasing company trade-secrets, and other legal consequences.

7. Don’t be an accomplice: If you see your supervising Doctor or attorney doing something highly unethical or illegal, you have the right to speak up and file a report with the authorities. Do not become an accomplice to illegal activity.

8. Think twice before becoming a rouge: Becoming a whistleblower or acting on your own because it “feels right”, could make you go down in history as a brave hero and save lives, however, it will not be without consequences. Acting outside of your assigned role, even if it saves a life could still cost you your job or open you up for a malpractice lawsuit or legal sanctions. Before you try to become the next Edward Snowden, remember, there will be consequences.

9. Stay up to date: Ethics guidelines are subject to change. Most nurses and paralegals are required or encouraged to attend furthering education courses or “refresher courses”. These could serve you well so that you do not fall out of the loop for current industry standards.

10. Pledge your loyalty to your client: Your job is to be an advocate for your client and an assistant to your superior. Embrace this role fully! If you think an alternative remedy is in order, express this to your supervising Doctor or Attorney. Do this away from the client in order to protect the honor of your supervisor as to not undermine him. Also, do not conspire or speak with any outside forces who may work against the interests of your client and/or employer. You are being paid for such loyalty. Any actions you take which could be interpreted as being “disloyal” to either the client or your employer, could result in termination or a lawsuit.

11. Swallow your pride: Paralegals and Nurses should take great care in picking a field or concentrated area that lines up with their conscious. If you cannot fathom defending a murderer or thief, you may want to stay away from criminal law and try bankruptcy law instead. You can also ask to be removed from certain cases or refuse to work with certain clients who make you feel uncomfortable. However, regardless of how hard you try to manage your career, you will ultimately be forced to take actions that go against your own personal beliefs. It’s the nature of any business and something all employees must learn to accept. Do your best to minimize such circumstances but also learn how to justify such actions if absolutely necessary. Those who fail to rationalize their jobs will fall victim to alcoholism and other unhealthy coping methods if they do not learn how to cope naturally. Legal and medical professionals will benefit greatly from having a support system in friends and family.

The philosophy and administrative guidelines that govern the idea of “ethics” can get very complicated. If you are unsure about whether or not you may be violating your company’s standards of ethics, it never hurts to ask!

Many of my past pursuits have been dedicated towards bringing gender equality towards men in the family law courts. However, being consistent in my belief that both genders face unique forms of discrimination, I feel that the “Essure” birth control product is sacrificing the health of our female population for the sake of profiteering on behalf of companies like Bayer and the doctors who accept their payments to push their dangerous products.

A CNN analysis shows that from August 2013 through December 2017, Bayer Pharmaceuticals paid 11,850 doctors $2.5 million related to Essure. Bayer recently announced it would pull the device off the market.

While all forms of birth control, aside from abstinence, involve a certain level of risk regarding side-effects, permanent forms of birth control like “Essure” pose the most risk. It is a procedure that involves implanting sharp metal coils into the Fallopian tubes from a woman’s cervix which causes scar tissue, ultimately leading towards a blockage that will block sperm entry. The procedure sounds good in theory, but the risk for infections and the sharp coils damaging surrounding tissues are severe.

I have personally spoken to and surveyed hundreds of women over the last few weeks , some who were just in their early 20s, who have had to undergo hysterectomies, and in many cases claim they were not told that the procedure was permanent nor potentially dangerous. Hormonal birth control pills increase a woman’s chance of developing blood clots or suffering a heart attack, however, such risks can be greatly minimized by avoiding smoking and heavy drinking. When it comes to implantable devices like Essure, lifestyle choices have little effect on whether or not the patient will develop problems later on down the line. Hair-loss, heavy bleeding, and death are possible side-effects of this device.

This situation is far too familiar in our health-care system. Huge pharmaceutical companies suppressing natural medicines like cannabis or other forms of complimentary medicine, so that they can issue out their lobbying money towards hospitals in order to turn a profit. We are talking about a woman’s reproductive organ here! Stories like these go to show us that the action of sex should only be carried out if the subject is participating with a potential long-term mate. Regardless of the methods used, there is also a 1% chance rate of failure.

We forget that the biological function of sexual activity is for reproduction, not for mere entertainment. If you are a patient looking into reducing unwanted pregnancies yet still want intimacy, there are many other safer alternatives than to elect to permanently disfigure your body. The same goes for men. Cutting and litigating tubes and veins in your body just so you can have sex without the possibility of pregnancy seems far too dangerous in my mind. This is further evidence of why we need better sex education in our schools. We need broader discussions on the emotional, spiritual, and financial ramifications of sexual activity.

Regardless of how one might feel about birth control methods, we should all agree that this dangerous device be taken off the market. Sacrificing the health of our mothers, daughters, and sisters just so a major pharmaceutical company can make millions, just isn’t worth it. And shame on the doctors and the educational institutions who train them to ignore alternative medicine. Atleast in the UK, doctors are trained to be open towards alternative therapies like “Imagery” , “Acupuncture”, and herbal therapy.

The USA tends to operate as usual. If there is no profit margin for them, then they aren’t interested in the potential benefits. They are more concerned with treating their pocket books instead of their patients. The AMA (American Medical Association) artificially controls the amount of doctors we have in circulation, their wages, and their prescribing conduct. Hospitals won’t even disclose the prices of their services to non-insured patients! So much for a free-market system of trade! Instead, the medical industry operates on secrecy and veils to hide their misconduct.

A local newspaper has mentioned me as being one of only 12 politicians/candidates in the state of Tennessee who has publicly pledged to support term limits in the 2018 election cycle. The dangers of nepotism and favortism found within career politicians is far too great to ignore. I vow to the voters and to political reform globally, that this needs to be the new norm.

I announced my run for state rep back in April. (See my campaign page at www.facebook.com/repstroud) Some of the things I want to do is host a Chinese/American summit to address tariff concerns. I believe that the tariff wars between China and the US are unnecessary. Another concern I have is that of unfair family law system in domestic and international custody disputes. Thirdly, I also want to address the growing concern of gentrification especially here locally in my city of Nashville, but elsewhere also on a global scale.

How you can help!

I am looking for volunteers to write a 3-10 page report on either of these issues and highlight solutions to these matters. Also, anyone who is interested in helping campaign is more than welcome to do so! Any efforts can be cited on a resume with a letter of recommendation from yours truly!

email me at naliniglobalconsulting@yahoo.com or add me on Instagram: @Naliniglobal

For many a year, I was the angry protester. The man who was quick to get a permanent marker and a white cardboard, ready to write some angry message as a grievance to the government. I still see a place for that kind of behavior, but I eventually realized how fruitless it can be. U.S Treasurer Alexander Heig once said, “Let them march and protest all they want, so long as they pay their taxes.” I got sick of the rhetoric, “The Democrats are to blame! The Republicans are to blame!”. I got tired of parties and political ideologies, I just wanted to be left-alone by overreaching government while making sure that all who live here are protected and safe when need be regardless of who is in office! I could criticize the liberal just as much as the conservative. Two wings to the same bird that makes America fly!

I have worked as a paralegal in bankruptcy, I have volunteered as a youth boxing coach, and have been a staunch lobbyist on issues like Family Law Reform, Foreign policy reform, and civil liberties abuses. One evening, a friend of mine said, “Why don’t you run for office? Just get the signatures, get on the ballot, and see what happens!”

So, based on a dare, I collected the signatures (which was tougher than I thought it would be), and got on the ballot! My main issues that I am running on are:

Family law reform. : Default 50/50 custody, child support reform, protect drivers licenses. Appoint equal representation to both parents, give more prominence to father’s role in development of kids. Give pro-choice to both genders.

Cut waste: No more spending thousands of dollars on luxury toilet seats or pork-barrel projects like the Nashville Sounds Stadium.

Protect Free-Speech: The entire state will be a “free-speech zone”. I may not agree with what you say, but i’ll defend to the death your right to say it! Political correctness or fear of speaking because of a potential backlash from unfair laws has no place in our nation. Whether it be good or bad comments being made, such comments encourage debate and progress! So long as no criminal threats are made, you may say and believe whatever you please!

Reform Healthcare: Bring transparency to healthcare prices, open up the market, bring true competition into healthcare to cut down prices. We have to stop the large insurance companies from dehumanizing our healthcare system and falsely inflating prices.

Restore liberty: Restore voting rights to felons, protect the right to travel (stop suspending driver’s licenses over debts.) , end civil asset forfeiture corruption, reform the expungment process and create program that reduce repeat incarceration. The US has the largest prison population on Earth (for-profit), we must stop this.

Utilize our National Guard: Our National Guard should be used to protect this land, and to deal with domestic issues, I would support legislation to keep it that way. These men and women do not belong in overseas deployments unless absolutely necessary.

Gun rights: I believe in property rights. The 2nd amendment isn’t about hunting or sport, but about protecting individuals and the nation at large. The citizenry is the militia! I am not a member of the NRA or any other organization, however, I do believe that our mass-shooting problem is not a gun problem, but a problem stemming from diet, media, fatherless homes, lack of proper socializing, lack of access to healthcare.

Protect Education: Give tax breaks to homeschoolers, expand individual spending accounts for those who want to put their tax dollars elsewhere, give parents more choice in choosing which schools to put their kids in!

Sales Tax reform: Tennessee has a huge surplus in revenue because our state has the highest sales tax rate in the nation! Let’s get it lowered!

Reduce Regulations: We should not have occupational licenses on jobs that do not need it. Unless you are a doctor, lawyer, or have some dangerous job that requires extensive training that could potentially ruin someone’s life, the government should not be charging expensive fees or requiring licenses. They are simply revenue generating schemes!

Help Veterans: Create low-income housing facilities specially designed for veterans

Protect the lives of Firefighters and Police: Firefighters and police are often exposed to cancer causing agents and harmful on the job conditions. These civil servants deserve grant money for on the job related injuries, especially after a long-time service record. While there is a lot of “anti-police” sentiment in the news media today, I believe that the majority of our MNPD officers seek to work with integrity. Blame the law, not necessarily the enforcers all of the time!

Criminal Justice Reform: Favor rehabilitation rather than incarceration. It costs about $35,000 per year to house an inmate. Let’s get the private contractors out of our prisons and jails too! If our judges can find ways to solve legal issues without jail sentences or hefty fines, then why not! Few people desire to go to prison or jail. Let us focus on helping our citizens to avoid jail rather than beating them further down. A society is only as strong as its weakest links.

Housing: Keep property taxes low and use other methods to keep native Nashvillians from being “priced out” of their homes.

Since getting on the ballot, I have met with police officers, unions, single-parents, Democrats, Libertarians, Republicans, the LGBTQ community, investors, incumbent politicians, veterans, spent time in tent-city with the homeless, and did some extensive traveling to Washington D.C and New York City. I am not a liberal or a conservative(Atleast not in the political sense), I am simple a man who believes in the Constitution to the utmost degree and believes that all men and women should have an equal opportunity to pursue happiness unmolested while still enjoying protection under the law with a unifying love of the American culture of liberty. My personal beliefs stop where your rights begin! If you aren’t harming or stealing, I have no right to impede upon you! Regardless of my personal opinion of your life choices!

These are just a few of the ideas I have! Instead of being angry at how corrupt the world is, I want to be a part of the solution! I want to be invited at the table of power and honestly, empathetically, and sympathetically discuss solutions to our nation’s greatest issues with both liberals and conservatives as a non-partisan independent. I am proud to be an American, and I truly believe that this nation attracts the best and brightest from all around. If we put our differences aside and focus on the major issues, I concretely believe that we can find real solutions as a team. This is a unique nation that is home to many races, religions, and personal ideologies. And it is because we welcome such diversity with a common culture of liberty, that America can hold onto it’s title of “Greatest Nation on Earth.”

Despite the complicated lives of our founding fathers and the times they grew up in, I truly believe that these men, especially Mr. Thomas Jefferson, truly did foresee and desire a place with ultimate freedom. Now that we have the technology and education to expand upon those original ideals, I believe we can make that dream come true! Combining ancient traditions with progressive advances in technology.

On June 8th, 2018, my 31st birthday was fast approaching on June 10th. I decided that I needed to do something of epic proportions to celebrate this new stage of life. About 10 months ago, I published a report given to the United Nations titled, “Global Human Trafficking in the Family Law Courts”. The UN didn’t give much attention to it, probably because it discussed issues uniquely affecting men instead of the plight of women, nevertheless, Amnesty International in New York City reached out to me via -email about a week ago, wanting to meet up.

I have a huge fear of traveling alone, so this proved to be the perfect motivator for me to conquer two birds with one stone. I took a bus to DC, then a train to NYC, then a train back to DC, then finally an airplane flight back to Nashville,TN. I learned alot about myself on this journey. Even though my main objective was to reach Amnesty International in New York, I spent most of my “getaway” in D.C., as I had a friend who lived there who offered to host me. During my time in D.C., I made my way to the House of Representatives. For two days, I lobbied to them about family law reform.

A few weeks ago, Kentucky was the first state to pass a default 50/50 custody bill. A presumptive bill that would automatically grant fathers joint custody with minimal child support, so long as he didn’t have a criminal background. This is huge considering that the average man will spend 5-30K in court begging for equal rights. While I recognize the plight of women’s rights activists, the male gender faces its own unique set of challenges.

For two days, I visited more than 30 congressmen/women and their staff to discuss family law reform. I handed out copies of my report, business cards, and even stopped by the offices of Kentucky Congressman, Andy Barr, to thank him and his state for being a leader in family law reform. I visited congressmen in Texas, California, Rhode Island, New York, Tennessee, Maryland, you name it!

Most of the reception I got was very “lukewarm”. Family law is simply something that isn’t discussed very much by federal politicians. Divorce, child support, alimony, custody,— these words bring falsely negative connotations associated with failure, infidelity, blackmail, and scandal. It is a topic that many politicians simply do not want to touch out of fear of backlash from feminist groups. While there are some women who are affected by the family law courts, men tend to bear the brunt of unfairness within these systems. To speak out against the family law courts will often garnish you a label of being a misogynist or an “MRA”. (Men’s Rights Activist). For some reason, society thinks its perfectly fine for a mother to have an abortion or give up her unwanted child for adoption, however, men who don’t want to be dads are called “deadbeats”, and the ones who do want to be dads have to spend a small fortune on legal fees to get basic custody rights while still paying child support on top of it.

As many of you know, I am a champion of foreign policy reform, tax reform, civil liberties, and plethora of other civil liberties issues. In fact, I submitted a report to the ACLU regarding civil asset forfeiture. Family law reform isn’t the only thing I care about, but it is very high on the list.

During my meetings with various congressmen, I was mainly left with statements such as, “I’ll look into this.”. However, I did get very good responses from congressmen in Maryland, Texas, and Georgia. Maryland is one of the few states who has tough laws against leaving your children in a car unattended. Maryland claims to be a very “children concentric state”, thus, I wasn’t too surprised that their offices actually gave me the time of day.

Tom Reed of New York wasn’t in his office, however, his staff associates were very nice to me and gladly took down my info and a copy of my report. I cannot say the same about some of the other offices that I visited who gave me such a cold welcome, almost as if they couldn’t physically see me standing in front of them.

I tried to visit my own congressman from TN for two days straight, congressman Jim Cooper, however, he was away both times. He and I have had several run-ins back in Nashville, so I’m not sure how happy he would be to see me again, as I have already spoken with him about this issue several times.

(Me outside of Rep.Cooper’s office in DC.)

While in D.C., I learned and recognized many things. The people in this city are highly educated on political matters, even the lowly beggars have a basic understanding of how bills are passed and the roles lobbyists play. Protesting and demonstration occurred at the Congress and white house daily. While attending a seminar at the Supreme court, I passed the congress building and noticed a group of ethnic Uyghurs, chanting and begging for the United States government to use their military might to save their people from the clutches of Chinese control.

Many libertarian and liberally minded people often shy away from interventionism as it causes much blow-back for our national security, however, this demonstration made me rethink the US’s role in foreign policy. Perhaps our presence isn’t always shunned but actually welcomed in some places. I suppose there are always two sides to every story.

As I left the congress building, I managed to get a peak at President Trump coming in from his trip at the Korean Peace Talk summit in Singapore. The Secret service was in full effect with their rifles, clearing the streets of any nearby pedestrians including myself.

“Stand back! Make way!” – Secret Service agents

Later that day, I visited the white house and came across an interesting man who went by the name, “Felipe”. He had an encampment set up across the street from the white-house. He had been in that camp protesting war, advocating for gun control, and attacks on civil liberties since 1982! That’s right! This man has not left his protest encampment since 1982! Talk about commitment! I engaged in an hour long debate with the man who sat disabled in his wheelchair. He had several degrees in political science, sociology, and psychology. While I didn’t agree with him on many points, I respected his diligence, and we both managed to agree that things like family law reform, and laws like the NDAA and the Patriot Act are bad for Americans in regards to personal liberty.

According to his testimony, there is a current law in place that says that no one is allowed to be encamped within so many yards of the white house, however, since the man had been in this place since 1982, (before such laws existed), he had essentially be “grandfathered” in, and is legally allowed to stay encamped in front of the white house so long as the camp remains occupied 24/7. Felipe is there most of the time, but has his father stand in his place when he needs to go away or take breaks. Felipe garnished much respect from fellow congressmen, as two actually approached him and gave him a “fist bump” of acknowledgment.

(Felipe camped out in front of the White House, no civilians is allowed to pass the police line or else they could face imprisonment– even Felipe isn’t exempt from this law)

My next stop was the Library of Congress. The world’s largest collection of books in the world. Photographs aren’t allowed to be taken of the actual books, however, when I say that the collection was impressive, it is an understatement! The library consists of three large buildings which contain entire departments dedicated to a single subject. Do you enjoy Chinese history? Well, there is an entire floor dedicated to just that single topic! Do you enjoy mechanical engineering? There is an entire room dedicated to just that subject. The amount of information in those buildings is completely awe-inspiring. I constantly found myself speaking in a silent whisper, “This is incredible!”. , “Wow!”.

I visited the copyright office in the Library of Congress and met with one of their consultants who guided me on the process of submitting my own publication, “Global Human Trafficking in the Family Law Courts”, into the library of congress. If my book is accepted, it would forever remain as my contribution to my country, my people, and to the world’s largest library.

After my adventures in the Congress, the Supreme Court building, the White House, and the Library of Congress, I accidentally came across an Amnesty International building. I thought to myself, “This could be a great networking opportunity, since I am scheduled to interview with them tomorrow in NYC.”

As I approached the building, there was a small security detail who was only letting badged members get in. I tried getting in, but I had no formal appointment with the D.C office. However, I was determined to get a copy of my report into as many people’s hands as I could. So, I did what any rational activist would do. I broke trespassing laws. I waited until the building’s employees returned from their lunch breaks. The wave of workers came hauling into the building using their badges to bypass security. I merely ducked my head-low and piggy backed into the building behind them. Without a badge I was only able to make it to the 3rd floor. Amnesty’s main office was on the 4th floor.

(At Amnesty International In Washington D.C.)

So, I had to get creative. I found a fire exit with a staircase and managed to get on the 4th floor. However, I ran into another problem. Amnesty had an empty lobby with a single door that only allowed badged members once again. There was no secretary in sight. I called the interviewing office in New York City and told them I was in D.C. instead. This prompted one of their policy research managers to come to the lobby. She speaks out, “Who are you? How can I help you?”

I say, “I am set to meet with Mr.Solis in NYC tomorrow about a management position. ” She laughs and says, “They tell everyone that. Mr. Solis only hires for intern positions that pay 15$ an hour.” I was a little annoyed to learn this. So I reply, “Wow! Seriously? Well, I traveled all the way from Nashville,Tn. This is a report I have written regarding Family Law reform. Regardless of any job opportunities, I think you guys should look at this! I am a supporter of women’s rights activism, however, this is an issue of gender equality where the male gender needs some serious support!”. The policy manager was hesitant to take my packet until I gave her my Nalini-Global business card.

At this point, she realized I was serious. She replies, “I will get this to our research department. This looks very fascinating. But, I’m sorry we can’t interview you here. You aren’t cut out for an internship anyways. Forget the NYC interview with Mr.Solis. I am going to take your report and see what we discuss further.”

I reply, “Thank you so much!”. She replies, ” I don’t know how you got up here. This is a restricted area. But, I admire your moxy! But, you have to go now!”. I reply, “Yes ma’am. And thank you!”.

After leaving Amnesty, I took a rest and headed up to NYC by train. The ride was three hours. On the train, I met many lobbyists and a woman from Italy who was here on vacation. We discussed music and politics for a good hour until the train staff told us to shut as other passengers were trying to sleep.

Upon arrived in NYC at Penn Station, I headed straight to Federal Hall. The birthplace of out government. It was a proud moment. Something that has been on my bucket list since the age of 20. After getting in NYC, I arrived about an hour late, thus I was shut out of my interview with Amnesty. But, I didn’t care, I wasn’t happy about being lied to about an internship/canvasser position anyways. I needed to make some real money! Regardless, I was still on a mission. After leaving Federal Hall, I visited “Wall Street”, the financial center of the USA. The power and corruption germinating inside the NYSE was overwhelming just as the city skyline was itself. NYC is not the place to go if you have anxiety or are prone to panic attacks.

(Me in New York City in front of Penn Station)

In NYC, everyone is looking to score something. Sex, drugs, money, a phone number, a free-ride, selling something. ect.. It is a very fast paced city that caters to the rich. My last action in NYC was to visit the UN building. To try and submit my report in person. I was blocked by security and wasn’t about to attempt to go further. This wasn’t amnesty international, this was a multinational governmental organization, I didn’t want to be arrested or killed. So, I took my loss and returned to Penn station the next morning. After all, as a state rep candidate myself back in Nashville, I still have a campaign to run myself! During the train ride back to D.C, , I saw the poverty in Baltimore and in parts of New Jersey. It was a sad site. Like a third world country in some respects. Upon arriving in D.C., I stayed at a friend’s house and took a flight back to Nashville the next morning.

While this narrative is a summarized version of my experiences during this birthday diplomatic mission, it sums up my passion quite well. If this blog post were to be used in a job interview, it would demonstrate my passion to a high level unparalleled to any college degree one may possess, as anyone can remember facts and details in order to obtain a degree, but few can put their very lives on the line for a cause they believe in.

I don’t know how effective my actions were in this trip. Perhaps I wasted my time and money. Perhaps I am a fool for thinking that such a man from a lowly background of lower-middle class parents can actually make a difference in such a powerful city like D.C. or NYC. But, then again, I thought that same thing two years ago when I successfully fought to get a corrupt politician fired, county clerk, John Arriola. in Nashville TN.

Regardless of the outcome, the trip changed my life. It made me proud to be an America. It gave me a connection to this land unlike I had before. For all of it’s ugliness, I saw a certain amount of beauty in the process of politics and government. I did see remedies and potential in solving certain problems in an ever changing world. It gave me a sense of strength and confidence I never knew I had.

I do not know where my journey will take me next, as I will be ending the lease on my apartment in two weeks, however, wherever I end up next, you can take your money to the casinos and safely bet that my next chapter will be anything but boring!

Loujain Alhathlou, 28, of Saudi Arabia, is a well-known middle eastern women’s rights activist. In her homeland, women are barred from the simple act of driving a vehicle without a husband’s permission. Referencing my book, “Global Human Trafficking in the Family Law courts”, I highlight ways in which men are treated unfairly in society, especially when it comes to finances, divorce, custody, social aspect, and military service requirements. While I often criticize feminism in the west, there is no argument that a moderate amount of feminism is certainly needed in the middle east. While feminism was very apparent in the west during the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s, modern feminism in the west often appears to be overly aggressive. (witch hunting?) However, in the middle east, women are still treated as if it were the middle ages. Women in the west, especially feminists or anyone who calls themselves a human rights activist should support this brave woman who has put her life on the line to give women the basic right to live in society an enjoy simple privileges such as driving a car. I encourage everyone to reach out to amnesty international in support of this young woman by emailing their directors at : report@aiusa.org

Nalini-Global

Via Washington Post

It was just days before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s March visit to the United States when Loujain al-Hathloul, one of Saudi Arabia’s most high profile feminists, was stopped by security officers as she drove on a highway near her university in Abu Dhabi.

The 28-year-old was taken from her vehicle and spirited away to her home country on a plane.

Hathloul spent several days in prison before being released, and she was banned from using social media or leaving the country as the Saudi heir apparent embarked on his marathon three-week public relations blitz in the United States, where he met with President Trump as well as Oprah Winfrey and others.

The activist’s rendition from the United Arab Emirates, where she was studying for a master’s degree, highlights the contradiction between Saudi Arabia’s public relations campaign touting reform and the reality on the ground for those asking for basic rights for women.

It also demonstrates the close cooperation between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which together have promoted a model in the region that prioritizes stability and economic development while harshly suppressing political activism.

The details of Hathloul’s forced return were recounted by people with knowledge of the incident, who were granted anonymity because they fear reprisals. Authorities in Riyadh did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday.

The Post’s Loveday Morris visited a motorcycle driving school in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. For the first time, women there are learning how to ride motorcycles.(Loveday Morris, Joyce Lee/The Washington Post)

Despite apparently complying with Saudi Arabia’s attempts to silence her — Hathloul’s last tweet to her 316,000 followers was on March 12 — she was arrested again last week in what appeared to be a particularly brutal crackdown on female activists in the kingdom.

A total of seven Saudis were detained — five women and two men who had supported their cause, including a lawyer who had represented Hathloul in the past. They were accused of crimes including “suspicious contact with foreign parties” and undermining the “security and stability” of Saudi Arabia, and they have been publicly vilified in pro-government media in what activists have described as a vicious smear campaign.

“Loujain should be celebrated now,” said Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi writer in self-imposed exile in the United States. “This is so unneeded right after the huge effort that MBS [Mohammed bin Salman] made in the United States, presenting himself as a reformer.”

Hathloul’s activism focused on women being allowed to drive and on ending the country’s restrictive male guardianship system, which meant women required permission from a male relative to access many government services.

The movement had some success and had appeared to be in step with Mohammed’s vision to modernize Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom granted women the right to drive last year and guardianship laws were eased. Women can now supposedly access government services and open businesses without a man’s permission, though in practice it is still often requested, women say. A guardian’s permission is still required for women to travel or marry.

But the kingdom’s inching reforms have come alongside a clampdown on activists, with an increasingly oppressive environment for those who call for changes. Human Rights Watch described it as having sparked a “frenzy of fear” for those genuinely engaged in reform.

“This arrest campaign is an arrest campaign against feminism in Saudi,” said one female activist who knows some of those detained. “Even the men who were arrested, they were with us.”

At 2:30 p.m. on May 15, Hathloul’s house was raided and she was arrested in her bedroom, according to Alqst, a Saudi human rights group based in London. She was taken to al-Hair prison, the group said, the same jail where she was held after she was seized in the United Arab Emirates. Those detained have since been transferred to Jiddah, according to human rights groups.

She’s no stranger to detention. Hathloul rose to prominence in 2014, when she got in her car in neighboring Abu Dhabi and tried to drive across the border to Saudi Arabia. She was arrested and referred to a terrorism court but was released before being tried after 73 days in detention.

The following year she stood in local council elections, after a royal decree allowed women to both vote and run for office. However, her name was never added to the ballot.

She was detained again in June 2017 after returning from a family visit to the United States.

Her activism has brought her international recognition. Last year she was photographed alongside actress Meghan Markle, who married Britain’s Prince Harry on Saturday, at a humanitarian summit in Canada. She was ranked 45th on a list of the most influential Arabs in the world by Arabian Business magazine last year.

But it has come at a cost. Saudi Arabia’s Okaz newspaper reported on Sunday that those arrested could face up to 20 years in jail. They have been publicly branded traitors by pro-government ­media.

Those detained span several generations of Saudi feminists.

Aziza al-Youssef, a professor at King Saud University, has been campaigning for women’s rights in Saudi Arabia for decades. When women signed a petition against the guardianship system, she took it to the royal palace.

Also detained was Aisha al-Mana, a 70-year-old who was among the first to challenge the driving ban, one of more than 40 women who drove in a convoy in Riyadh in 1990, along with ­Madeha al-Ajroush, a psychotherapist in her mid-60s, who is also now in detention.

“Loujain, Aziza and other activists who use their real identities are very brave,” said the Saudi activist, who has campaigned online anonymously. “They have very supportive families and nice lives but they chose to be the voice for us.”

Just hours after the announcement that the driving ban would be lifted in September, women who had campaigned for that right were called and asked to not comment publicly — even positively.

Speaking before the latest round of arrests, one female activist speculated that there could be an “old camp” trying to counter Mohammed’s reforms. Others disputed that, saying he has a complete grip on power.

“There is no old guard,” Khashoggi said. “He is in total control. What’s happening is unprecedented.” It doesn’t represent the “old” Saudi Arabia, he said, but the “new Saudi.”